Torii Hunter created the enduring image of the Twins-Sox rivalry when he bowled over Jamie Burke at home plate in 2004. He could've gone around Burke, as he had beaten the throw home. Instead, he went right through him, giving the backup catcher a slight concussion.
Once again, the Twins once again went for the haymaker -- this time against A.J. Pierzynski.
It didn't work.
Mike Cuddyer doubled off John Danks to lead off the inning, and moved to third on a Delmon Young flyball for the first threat of the game.
Danks got ahead 0-2 on Brendan Harris, but Harris was able to put the bat on the ball, hitting a shallow flyball to center. Cuddyer tested Griffey's arm by tagging, and Griffey made a perfect one-hop throw home with Cuddyer a few steps away.
Pierzysnki caught the hop and extended his arm for the tag, and Cuddyer aimed right for Pierzynski's shoulder. They collided, with Pierzynski ending up on his back and Cuddyer tumbling over.
But Pierzynski held on. And he showed the ball to Cuddyer to prove it.
Two innings later, Jim Thome brought the thunder with a titanic clout to the fan deck in center on a hanging 2-2 changeup from Nick Blackburn. That was the Sox's knockout punch, and the Twins couldn't counter.
For Thome, often criticized as hitting most of his homers when the team didn't need them, that one swing vindicated his efforts this season. And for Danks, who hadn't received run support all year long, tonight had to be equally sweet.
On his first-ever start on three days' rest, Danks dominated -- although it didn't look that way when he began his night by walking Denard Span.
But a funny thing happened. When Span ran, Alexi Casilla hit a soft liner right at Juan Uribe, who casually tossed to first for the double play. The first attempt at piranha-ing the Sox blew up in their faces.
Danks didn't allow a hit until that Cuddyer double, and he pitched around that as well with help from Griffey. He owned Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, forcing Mauer to try bunting his way on after Danks struck him out the first two times. That didn't work, either.
Morneau, meanwhile, only saw eight pitches over three at-bats. All were strikes.
The M&M Boys never came to the plate for a fourth time. Danks didn't allow it, getting Nick Punto to ground into a double play after a one-out walk in the eighth inning, his final frame of work. Neither did Bobby Jenks, who struck out Jason Kubel (pinch-hitting for Carlos Gomez) and overpowered the final two hitters he faced.
And neither did Brian Anderson. The much-maligned B.A. entered the game after Griffey doubled with one out in the seventh as a pinch runner, and it proved to be a wise choice by Ozzie Guillen. With two outs, Jenks gave Casilla more fastball than he could handle, and he hit a weak flare to shallow center.
Anderson sprinted in, dived ... and came up with the catch. Game over. Regular season over, with the Sox as the champs.
To Tampa.
Record: 89-74 |
Box score |
Play-by-play